Legislation Strengthens Border Security, Toughens Penalties for Smugglers, and Gives DPS New Tools to Crack Down on Crime Syndicates Statewide

Rep. Greg Bonnen, MD (R-Friendswood) and a bipartisan group of Texas House members today called for passage of House Bill 11, the Stronger Border, Safer Texas Act. The bill is designed to strengthen border security and help law enforcement stop border-related crime wherever it occurs in the state.

“The federal government has failed to fulfill its responsibility to secure the border,” said Bonnen. “The Stronger Border, Safer Texas Act will permanently bolster the Department of Public Safety's presence on the border, disrupt cartel supply lines, and establish a special border investigations team that will aide law enforcement in shutting down international crime syndicates that operate throughout the trans-national region.”

Key provisions of House Bill 11, co-authored by Dr. Bonnen, include:

Hiring of certified police officers at the DPS Trooper II level and authorizing 10 hour work days for DPS Troopers serving in the border region, ending the current practice of periodically shifting officers from other parts of the state.